


La Vie En Rose

by lion_boy_13



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: "no homo though", "we're just friends", Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Angst and Feels, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Anorexia, Boys In Love, Bromance, Bromance to Romance, Denial, Denial of Feelings, Depression, Draco Malfoy Speaks French, Eating Disorders, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Harry Potter Has PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Harry Potter in Denial, Harry in Denial, Heavy Angst, Hogwarts Eighth Year, Hurt/Comfort, Idiots in Love, M/M, Mild Sexual Content, Mild Smut, Oblivious Draco Malfoy, Oblivious Harry, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pining Draco Malfoy, Post-Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Post-War, Remus Lupin Lives, Romantic Fluff, Self-Harm, Self-Hatred, Sirius Black Lives, Slow Build Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, Slow Burn, Soft Draco Malfoy, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies, Suicidal Harry, Suicidal Thoughts, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, everyone else dies (sorry), painfully slow burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-19
Updated: 2020-01-19
Packaged: 2020-05-14 16:10:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19276798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lion_boy_13/pseuds/lion_boy_13
Summary: When Draco and Harry return to Hogwarts after the war, nothing is the same. Draco stops being mean for once, and Harry is haunted by the ghosts of the war. When the two stop spitting insults at each other, everyone assumes they've both gone mad. Is it the end of a rivalry, or the beginning of a friendship? Or maybe it could be the start of something more...





	1. How Could This Get Any Worse?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MILD TRIGGER WARNING!  
> EATING DISORDERS AND SUICIDAL THOUGHTS!

Harry stood outside King's Cross Station, his heart pounding and his hands trembling uncontrollably. He was excited to go back to Hogwarts, of course he was! Hogwarts was his home! Besides, Harry had missed his friends and the familiarity of the grand halls, but he was also incredibly nervous to go back. So much had changed since the war ended. Everyone had grown up so much in such a short space of time, they'd all matured beyond their years. Harry was just worried the change might be a little bit too much for everyone. Harry began to wonder if he should have just stayed at Grimmauld Place, but deep down he knew a change of scenery would be good for him. At least, that's what his therapist had told him. Hermione hadn't neglected to remind him of that, multiple times in the past few months and she wasn't likely to stop anytime soon. Harry wanted to turn around and go back home, but he knew he'd never hear the end of it from Hermione if he did. He took a deep breath, pulled down the sleeves of his oversized sweater, and headed towards Platform 9 3/4.

Unfortunately, all of Harry's stalling had meant that he was one of the last students to arrive on the platform. He glanced around nervously, desperately searching for Ron and Hermione. Luckily for Harry, he spotted them fairly quickly and gave them a friendly smile that was only half fake. Hermione waved back at him, but Ron collided with him at full force.  
"Ronald!" Hermione cautioned. She didn't need to say anything else; Ron muttered a brief apology and loosened his grip, allowing Harry to breathe.  
"It's good to see you, mate," Ron said with a cheerful grin.  
"Yeah, you too," Harry replied, with a distinct lack of emotion in his voice. "How've you been, Harry?" Hermione asked him."Alright," Harry answered wearily. It was a blatant lie, and he knew Hermione didn't believe him, but she chose not to push him. She gave him a small smile, meaning he could talk to her if he ever felt like it, and Harry was grateful. He gave her a slight nod in response, to show he understood. As if the exchange never happened, Hermione ushered both boys towards the train, as a wave of nostalgia hit Harry with almost as much force as his best friend.

The trio were some of the last students to board the train, so finding an empty compartment wouldn't be easy. Harry knew that any compartment with a space would be offered up to him, but he desperately wanted to be alone. At least, as alone as one can possibly be on a train full of hundreds of students. Harry simply couldn't handle being swamped by adoring fans. They were sweet, but they were also incredibly draining. Unfortunately, it seemed that every single compartment was completely full. Only one compartment was even close to being empty, and it was occupied by none other than Malfoy. Ron immediately grabbed Harry's arm and began to drag him away, but Hermione stopped them both.  
"Come on, you both need to grow up. We all know there isn't anywhere else," Hermione said. "Besides, he could probably use some friends right now." Ron grumbled a little, but he knew Hermione was right. Harry simply shrugged. He was too tired to listen to what they were saying, and he was also too tired to care. He just wanted to sit down and possibly have a nap. 

Hermione cautiously opened the door to Malfoy's compartment and stood awkwardly in the doorway for a while, before clearing her throat.  
"Is it alright if we join you?" she asked. "There isn't anywhere else."  
Malfoy said nothing. He merely rolled his eyes, before glaring fiercely at the trio and motioning for them to enter. The Golden Trio stood in disbelief for a moment, but they quickly sat down and shut the door when they noticed Malfoy's slightly hostile expression. Hermione and Ron slid into the seats opposite Malfoy, leaving Harry to sit beside him. Before the war, Harry would've complained bitterly and possibly even argued, forcing Ron to switch seats with him. But the war had changed everybody, Harry most of all, and he simply didn't have the energy to care.

During the train ride, neither Harry nor Malfoy spoke a word. Ron and Hermione discussed their holidays in hushed whispers, but there was an uncomfortable silence for the majority of the journey. Hermione had made an effort to include Harry in any conversation, but he made it clear that he wanted to be left alone.  
"Are you sure you're alright?" Hermione asked Harry.  
"Yeah, I'm fine," Harry replied, as if he was on autopilot.  
"Really, mate?" Ron asked.  
"Yeah, really," Harry said, not really caring if his friends believed him or not.  
"You look exhausted. Have you been sleeping?" Hermione asked.  
Harry shook his head. He hadn't been sleeping or eating properly since the war, but he could never tell them that because they'd worry too much. Ron and Hermione knew he'd been struggling, but they didn't know just how bad everything really was. Harry had nightmares every single night, even if he took dreamless sleep. He dreamt of the people who died for him at the hands of Voldemort. He was haunted by overwhelming guilt knowing that, in a way, Harry had killed all of those people. He was responsible for their premature deaths. Eating was virtually impossible too, and even the smell of food made Harry feel nauseous. Besides, why should he deserve to eat when he brutally murdered all those people? Why should he get to have a life when he robbed so many children of their future? He shouldn't, and Harry knew that. He knew that he deserved to suffer tremendously for what he did, so he made sure he did suffer.  
Despite his guilt, Harry knew that Hermione was right. He was completely exhausted. They were still hours away from Hogwarts, so Harry leaned back and closed his eyes, and he ended up drifting off into a dreamless sleep.


	2. Error 404: Heterosexuality Not Found

Malfoy had been hoping for a relatively quiet and peaceful return to Hogwarts without anyone bothering him, given everything that had happened over the summer. There'd been the war, the death eater trials, and now he had to go back to a school full of people who hated him. Actually, he was pretty sure that they didn't hate him; they despised him. Obviously, due to the fact that the so-called 'Golden Trio' were sat in his compartment, things didn't go quite according to plan for Malfoy. However, he was determined the train journey would still be peaceful. Malfoy tried his best to block out the hushed whispers of Ron and Hermione, but he ultimately failed. Instead, he rested his head on the window of the train and watched the landscape race past him.

After what felt like an eternity, Malfoy glanced over at Harry. He'd been trying to overlook Harry's presence, but he simply couldn't resist. He didn't know what he had expected to see, but it certainly wasn't _that_. Harry was leaned back with his eyes closed, obviously asleep. His fluffy-looking black hair swept over his forehead, covering the lightning bolt scar that sat there. He almost didn't look like Harry. His lips were slightly parted, and Malfoy wanted nothing more than to kiss him. Malfoy had come out to his close friends in sixth year, but to most people, he was still in the closet. Seeing Harry looking so beautiful while he slept made Malfoy want to announce to the world that he was gay. He would shout it from the rooftops if it meant he might have even a small chance to kiss Harry. A faint smile crept onto his face at the thought and his cheeks turned a shade more pink. Malfoy turned back to look out of the window, and he almost thought he saw Hermione giving him a knowing nod.

The train was about an hour and a half away from Hogwarts when Malfoy felt an unusual weight on his shoulder. He turned his head carefully and saw Harry, fast asleep on his shoulder. Malfoy felt an overwhelming urge to shove Harry off of him or to jerk his shoulder to wake him up, but he just couldn't. Every nerve in Malfoy's body felt like it was on fire and his cheeks felt like they were burning. He'd never been more embarrassed in his life, but he didn't seem to mind it so much. Now that he could see Harry up close, he noticed just how exhausted Harry must have been. He could tell Harry hadn't been sleeping well, if he'd even been sleeping at all. Malfoy was unfortunately all too familiar with the feeling of complete and utter exhaustion, so he let Harry sleep. For the first time maybe ever, Malfoy felt a sharp stab of pity for the Golden Boy. He'd always been under the illusion that life as the Chosen One was perfect, but now Malfoy wasn't so sure that that was the case.

Malfoy must have spaced out for a while, because he snapped back to his senses when he heard the quietest noise next to him. It was so quiet that he barely even heard it, so at first Malfoy naturally assumed he was hearing things. A few moments later, Malfoy heard it again, only a lot louder that time. It almost sounded like a whimper of pain or...fear? That's when Malfoy looked over in Harry's general direction and noticed that his eyes were squeezed tightly shut and he that was clutching desperately on to Malfoy's sleeve as if his very life depended on it. Malfoy began to panic slightly, and looked over at Ron and Hermione for reassurance or advice, but they weren't there. It was then that Malfoy vaguely remembered Ron grabbing Hermione and pulling her into the bathroom for what looked like a not-so-quick shag. It was also then that Malfoy realised that he was absolutely, breathtakingly fucked.

Malfoy could tell Harry was having a nightmare - partly because he wasn't an _idiot_ , and partly because he had them often enough to recognise the signs on someone else. Malfoy could only assume that Harry had nightmares fairly often, but he was almost certain that he was right. It would explain Harry's exhaustion if nothing else. But even thought he knew that Harry was having a nightmare, Malfoy had no idea how to help him. For once, Malfoy wished that Ron and Hermione were nearby, but of course Ron had to pick the worst time to get a boner! Malfoy desperately tried to think about what his mother did whenever he had a nightmare over the summer. His mother always sang him a French lullaby, but he could remember neither the name nor the lyrics. He could only remember one song in French, so he mentally cursed and reminded himself to try and re-learn the language. Malfoy was about to start singing when he stopped himself. He didn't want to sing to Harry! What if someone saw or heard him? As if on cue, Harry cried out in his sleep. Malfoy sighed and rolled his eyes, but he quickly cast a _Muffliato_ , before pulling Harry closer to him and rubbing circles on his back as he sang.

"Quand il me prend dans ses bras,   
Il me parle tout bas,   
Je vois la vie en rose.   
Il me dit des mot d'amour,   
Des mots de tous les jours,   
Et ca me fait quelque chose.   
Il est entre dans mon coeur,   
Une part de bonheur,   
Dont je connais la cause.   
C'ast lui pour moi,   
Moi pour lui dans la vie.   
Il me l'a dit,   
L'a jure pour la vie.   
Et des que je l'apercois,   
Alors je sens en moi,   
Mon coeur qui bat."

Malfoy had almost finished the song, and Harry looked a lot calmer. He'd stopped crying out in his sleep, and he wasn't as tense as he'd been before. He seemed to respond to Malfoy's singing, so he continued.   
"Hold me close and hold me fast,   
This magic spell you cast,   
This is la vie en rose.   
When you kiss me, heaven sighs,   
And though I close my eyes,   
I see la vie en rose.   
When you press me to your heart,   
I'm in a world apart,   
A world where roses bloom.   
And when you speak,   
Angels sing from above,   
Everyday words seem,   
To turn into love songs.   
Give your heart and soul to me,   
And life will always be la vie en rose.   
And when you speak,  
Angels sing from above,   
Everyday words seem,   
To turn into love songs.   
Give your heart and soul to me,   
And life will always be la vie en rose."

Harry didn't make another sound until the train was almost at Hogwarts. This time he didn't whimper or cry out, instead he groaned. He started to lift his head, so Malfoy slowly edged away from Harry as he woke up. He really didn't want to have to explain himself, and he prayed to Merlin (or anyone who'd listen. Uncle Severus, are you there?) that he could somehow manage to avoid any awkwardness. The lingering thought in Malfoy's mind as Harry slowly approached consciousness was, "What if he heard me singing?"


	3. I'm Trying But He's Hot

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING!!!  
> MENTIONS OF EATING DISORDERS!!!

Harry woke up slowly, with bleary eyes and a racing heart. He was incredibly confused and disoriented, the sign of a really good nap. He noticed that he had his head resting on somebody's shoulder, but he hadn't properly opened his eyes yet, so he just assumed it was Ron. Harry sat upright and started to stretch. He stretched his arms out in front of him, then tried to loosen up his shoulders and proceeded to whack his pillow (probably Ron) in the face.  
"Sorry," Harry mumbled as he turned to face Probably-Ron. He then discovered that Probably-Ron wasn't Ron at all, it was Malfoy! Harry felt his cheeks burning and he didn't need to look in a mirror to know that they were bright pink. He stared at the floor in a desperate attempt to avoid both eye-contact and conversation.  
"I'm, uh, I'm sorry," Harry repeated. Harry looked up just in time to see Malfoy give him a little shrug before turning to face out of the window, with something that looked suspiciously like a smile on his face.

Although Malfoy didn't seem bothered by Harry falling asleep on him and hitting him in the face, Harry was bothered by it. A lot. He couldn't stop fidgeting and his mind was racing with unwelcome thoughts about what Malfoy probably thought about him. It was embarrassing for him! He just fell asleep on his arch-rival, for Merlin's sake! Harry glanced back over at Malfoy and he couldn't help noticing how uncomfortable Malfoy looked. Harry knew that it was his fault, and he didn't want Malfoy to feel awkward or uncomfortable, so he moved as far away from him as he could without actually changing compartments. Harry suddenly began to wonder when the hell he started caring about Malfoy's feelings. Harry didn't even realise that he did care about Malfoy's feelings until just then. Although, the longer Harry thought about it, the more he realised that he's cared about Malfoy for a really long time.

Harry had realised over the summer that he might not be straight, but he hadn't dared to do anything about it, or even to tell anyone. He'd known for a while that his relationship with Ginny just wasn't right, and they'd broken up, claiming that the struggles of war took it's toll on both of them. Harry suspected that she knew he might be gay, but she never mentioned it. He'd finally realised that he might be a little bit gay when Charlie had stayed at The Burrow, and Harry found himself thinking that he was incredibly attractive. He still wasn't sure though, so he didn't tell anyone. However, every time Harry looked at Malfoy, he became more and more sure that he was gay. He would never admit it to anyone other than himself, but Malfoy was pretty. He was really pretty. He was easily the prettiest boy that Harry had ever seen. It was finally time for Harry to admit, to himself at least, that he had a crush on Malfoy. Harry had a crush on Malfoy and if he was being brutally honest with himself, he'd been crushing on Malfoy since third year. All of a sudden, Harry's unhealthy obsession with Malfoy in sixth year didn't seem so strange.

Harry knew that Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and all of the other Weasleys would be totally okay with Harry being gay, but they would definitely have a problem with him being gay for Malfoy. Ron would definitely be the worst because he could (and would) hold a grudge until the end of time itself. Hermione would probably be okay with it after a while as long as Harry was happy, but it would take quite a bit of time to get to that point. Harry froze when he realised exactly where his mind had wandered. He mentally scolded himself for thinking like that. Malfoy wasn't gay! Malfoy was as straight as they come! Besides, even if Malfoy was gay, he'd never date Harry! They'd been arch-rivals for years, literally since they first met, and that wasn't about to change just because Harry suddenly pulled his head from up his backside and realised that Malfoy was attractive! Harry knew all of this, so why the hell was he acting like he was going to start dating Malfoy and introducing him to his friends and family? That was literally never going to happen! Not in a million years! Malfoy was just hot, that's all. Harry repeated that sentence to himself, over and over again like a mantra. Maybe if Harry repeated it enough times then he'd stop wanting to kiss Malfoy. Maybe, just maybe, he could destroy his little schoolboy crush with sheer willpower.

Ron and Hermione finally returned to the compartment not too long after Harry's little sexuality crisis. He was too embarrassed to look either of them in the eye, but they didn't seem to notice. They were too busy snogging to notice anything much, really. They probably wouldn't notice if the train stopped, or if a hippogriff landed on the roof. Harry realised that he could probably start making out with Malfoy and they probably wouldn't even bat an eyelid. In the back of his mind, Harry wondered if Ron was going to end up dragging Hermione back out of the compartment again. Harry also realised that he should definitely stop thinking about kissing Malfoy, as his prick gave a little twitch every time Harry thought about how soft Malfoy's lips must be or how he might taste.  
"Traitor," Harry thought to himself as he glanced down at his lap. Harry tried to think of anything to make his boner disappear as he waited uncomfortably for the train to arrive at Hogwarts.

The very second the train came to a halt, Harry leapt up, grabbed his bags, and ran off the train. He was to embarrassed to even look at Ron and Hermione, who followed him, bewildered. Harry hopped on the first carriage to the castle, not wanting to be anywhere near Malfoy whilst simultaneously wanting to be on top of him.  
"Harry?" Hermione ventured, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Are you alright?"  
"I'm fine, just tired. I want to try and get some sleep," Harry answered, hoping neither Hermione nor Ron would press the issue any further.  
"Was it Malfoy?" Hermione asked. "Did he say something to you?"  
"If he did mate, I swear I'm gonna kill him," Ron added.  
"No, he didn't. I'm just tired, I promise," Harry said.  
"Okay,but you have to come to the feast," Hermione said. "No excuses." Harry shrugged in response, even though that was literally the last thing he wanted.

Harry allowed Hermione to drag him to the feast, even though he tried to make up an excuse to get out of it. Hermione glared at him, so he gave up and let her have her way. He knew that there was no point trying to argue with Hermione once she had her heart set on something. You'd have better luck trying to fight a troll. Although Harry had to attend the feast, he didn't have to listen to anything that happened. He spaced out for the entire sorting ceremony and barely paid any attention throughout Professor McGonagall's welcome speech. He heard snippets of what she said, including "inter-house unity","eighth year common room", and "astronomy tower". Before he knew it, McGonagall had finished her speech and Harry was being elbowed by Hermione.  
"Harry, you have to eat something," she said.  
"I'm not hungry," Harry mumbled, as he picked at something that Hermione had out on his plate.  
"You have to eat," Hermione insisted.  
"I'm fine," Harry said.  
"Harry..." Hermione started, her brows furrowed with concern. "You might think I'm stupid and that I've not noticed, but I have. I know you've not been eating, you're getting thin. You have to eat, Harry. Please."  
"I said I'm fine!" Harry snapped. "Just leave me alone!" With that being said, Harry stood up and marched out of the Great Hall, not caring who's eyes followed him.

Harry remembered McGonagall mentioning something about an eighth year common room in the astronomy tower, so he headed in that general direction.  
"Password?" The portrait asked, when Harry reached the tower. That's when he stalled. Harry didn't know the new password, and that meant he had three options. Number One, wait outside the common room like an idiot. Number Two, go back to the Great Hall and apologise. Number Three, simply go someplace else. The first two options were absolutely out of the question, so Harry sighed and headed towards the Room of Requirement, hoping that it had been fixed during the clean-up. Although the Room of Hidden Things had been destroyed, the Room of Requirement still had the power to create new rooms. Harry let out a huge sigh of relief when he opened the door and saw a red, four-poster bed. He took off his glasses and put them on a table that appeared out of nowhere, placed his wand under his pillow, closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.


	4. Knock Knock, Get The Door It's Depression

Harry knew where he was instantly. He was in the Forbidden Forest, in the exact place he'd supposedly died. He didn't know why he was there, but it felt incredibly wrong. He knew he shouldn't be there but he couldn't seem to move his feet. He turned around, searching for an escape, but there was none. The forest to his left looked identical to the forest to his right, and Harry realised that there was no way out. He was trapped, and he began to feel threatened, even though there was nobody else in sight. Every instinct he had told him to get out of there, to run as far away as he could and never look back, but his feet seemed to be frozen in place. Moving was impossible, so Harry simply had to wait and accept his fate. Naturally, Harry started to panic, but he was interrupted by a sound coming from behind him. Instantaneously, Harry's anxiety disappeared and was replaced by adrenaline coursing through his veins. He drew his wand and prepared for a fight, not knowing what might appear.

Harry turned around, surprised that he was suddenly able to move again. He wasn't sure who or what he'd expected to see, but he certainly didn't expect to see his parents step out from behind a tree and walk towards him. Moments later, Sirius and Remus appeared from behind a bush to Harry's left, while Ron and Hermione stepped out of the shadows on Harry's right. Harry dropped his wand to the ground in shock and ran towards his parents. He felt calm and happy when they enveloped him in a hug, and he was almost able to forget everything that had happened in the past. For one brief moment, Harry felt like a normal teenage boy with parents who were still alive, and family that loved him. In that moment, Harry almost forgot that his parents were dead and that it was all his fault.

"Mum! Dad!" Harry exclaimed, after letting them both go. "How can you be here? It's impossible!"  
"We simply had to see you," Lily replied.  
"Yes, there's something we need to talk about," James added.  
"What is it?" Harry asked, his brows furrowed in confusion. "Is everything alright?"  
"For you, maybe. But not for us," Lily said, the softness in her voice gone and replaced by bitterness.   
"How can you go on living your life when you know the truth?" James said, his voice suddenly hard and cold.  
"What truth? I don't know what you're talking about!" Harry cried.  
"You killed us. If it weren't for you, we'd still be alive!" Lily said, accusingly. Harry slowly backed away from his parents. They weren't the way he remembered them, they were so angry. Fury blazed in their eyes, and the worst part is that Harry understood why.  
"I'm sorry!" Harry whimpered. "I didn't mean to, I swear I didn't. I never wanted to hurt you!"  
"It doesn't matter whether you meant to or not. You did. You killed us, and we can never forgive you!" James said, walking towards Harry.  
"Please!" Harry begged falling to his knees. The last thing Harry wanted was for his parents to hate him, or worse, leave him. Harry looked up at his father as James began to fade. He looked back at Lily, not wanting to see his mother fade away too. Before he knew it, both of his parents were almost completely transparent. Seconds later, they disappeared.

Harry laid his head in his hands and sobbed as his parents left him. Was this the way George felt when Fred died and left him as half of a duo? Was this the way Hermione felt when she had to obliviate her parents? It felt like he was being torn in two. Harry had never known pain like it, not even when he'd died. He turned to face Sirius and Remus, searching for comfort and support. He ran towards them, expecting them to hold him and tell him that it would all be fine, but they stepped back, away from him.   
"You know we love you, Harry, but we can't forgive you either," Sirius said, his eyes cold. "You killed your own parents, our best friends! You killed them in cold blood!"  
"I didn't!" Harry cried. "I didn't kill them! At least, I didn't want to! I didn't mean to!"  
"It doesn't matter whether you wanted to or not. We trusted you, we believed in you,and you lied to us!" Remus shouted.  
"I'm sorry! I'm so, so sorry!" Harry sobbed, falling to his knees.  
"If it wasn't for you, we'd all still be a family," Sirius spat.  
"I'm sorry," Harry whimpered.  
"Sorry isn't enough," Remus said, coldly. Harry noticed that Remus was beginning to fade, the same way both his parents did before. When he looked at Sirius, he was fading away too. Harry knew they'd both be gone soon, and he couldn't bear to watch, so he squeezed his eyes tightly shut and hoped it would all be over soon.

Harry picked himself up and turned to where Ron and Hermione stood, looking for support, love, and a shoulder to cry on. He found none of that. Instead he found cold glares and bitterness.   
"What's wrong? What could I have possibly done to either of you?" Harry asked desperately.  
"You destroyed our lives," Ron said with a voice so sharp that it could cut stone.  
"How?" Harry asked, utterly confused. "I tried to help you!"  
"You only tried to help yourself," Hermione countered.  
"You killed You-Know-Who for the fame, and nothing else!" Ron snapped.  
"I killed him because it was the right thing to do! He was terrorising our community! You of all people should understand that!" Harry said, on the edge of tears.  
"You took all of the fame, all of the glory!" Hermione shouted in an accusatory tone.  
"We were right by your side the entire time and we got nothing!" Ron yelled.  
"Do you know how much we sacrificed? How much we gave up for the cause, for you?" Hermione demanded.  
"I lost my big brother," Ron said, unable to hide the voice crack that accompanied his words.  
"I lost my parents," Hermione said, suddenly overwhelmed by sadness.  
"We nearly lost our lives!" Ron said, all of his sorrow replaced with fury. "And for what? So you could get even more fame!"  
"I thought you were my friends," Harry said. "I thought we'd be by each others sides through everything!"  
"We would have been, if you hadn't abandoned us for the glory." Ron spat the words out of his mouth with as much malice as he was physically capable of.  
"I didn't abandon you! I swear I didn't! I didn't want the fame or the glory, I didn't want any of it!" Harry sobbed. "I didn't abandon you, you're abandoning me!"  
"It doesn't matter that you didn't want it. You got it, and you can't exactly give it back," Hermione snapped.  
"Look, whatever it is that I've done to you, I'm sorry! I take it all back! Just please don't leave me," Harry begged.  
"Too late," Hermione said, as she started to fade.  
"Please," Harry cried. "Don't go!" But his pleas made no difference. Ron and Hermione still faded away, just as Remus and Sirius had done before them, and his parents had done before them. They faded into the darkness and left Harry alone in the Forbidden Forest, with no family, no friends,and no hope.

Harry sank to the ground, feeling empty. He curled up into a ball and simply let the tears fall. He sobbed and sobbed and sobbed. He cried until he had no tears left in his body, and still he felt the same way he did when his parents faded away. The pain crashed into his body, wave after unforgiving wave, and Harry asked himself when it would end. When would he be free from the pain and the hurt that had haunted him for his entire life? When would he finally be able to live his life? Harry didn't have an answer to the questions that plagued him, and the trees failed to provide with an answer either. Exhausted, Harry leant against the nearest tree trunk and closed his eyes, hoping that sleep could answer some of his questions or solve some of his problems. Harry drifted off to sleep, not seeing the blonde figure that had joined him in the darkness slowly fading away into nothingness.


End file.
